August 2012 Grocery Challenge

NickJW

Quickly popping in to report some extra spends:

£3.15 in Mr W
£5.35 in Mr S
81p in Mr T

£9.31 in total.

Hope all are well.

Caterina

I know that the September thread is about to start and have been wondering whether to skip September because I am going to be in Italy between 5th and 19th Sep. However I am going to spend most of this time with my family and the rest, if it happens, would be a few days at the seaside but in a self-catering unit, so I could give it a go! Need to think this over.

meg72

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Hi guys.
A while ago i saw some people on here talking about this book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whole-Family-Healthy-Balanced-Little/dp/1905862156/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1345547479&sr=8-2

Well i have been doing some digging around and have found the same book, for free! Its an e-book. Here is the link, and i hope some of you find it helpful. I have wanted the book for ages, but was trying to find it as cheap as possible- you cant get much cheaper than free!

http://www.howto.co.uk/wellbeing/quick-healthy-recipes/

Many thanks for this, Nothing beats for free does it.

rosieben

budget_babe wrote: »

.. If I was giving myself a mark on a Mse report it would be a big F for Failure.

Hoping for an E next month for at least Effort.

you've earned a big E for effort this month, it takes a while to get in to the challenge and I think even the most experienced GC'ers would struggle a bit coping with all that's happened to you. cut yourself some slack!
hope September will be easier :beer:

Caterina, why don't you set a budget for the days you're at home, and then add an extra allowance for holiday food if you go SC?

budget_babe

rosieben wrote: »

you've earned a big E for effort this month, it takes a while to get in to the challenge and I think even the most experienced GC'ers would struggle a bit coping with all that's happened to you. cut yourself some slack!
hope September will be easier :beer:

Caterina, why don't you set a budget for the days you're at home, and then add an extra allowance for holiday food if you go SC?

Thank you so much Rosieben :A

I don't feel quite as bad now. Still its no use giving up at the first hurdle and I have just been in the kitchen cooking some brocolli and cauli, went to make some cheese sauce and doh not enough milk.

I have also wrapped my chicken breasts in bacon and chorizo, stuffed them with goats cheese and chives. So they are ready to go on later,

The spare chicken breast is now cut in cubes and marinating in Nando's sauce, Im also marinating some mushrooms, red pepper and onion that need using up. Dh can have kebabs tomorrow and I will have salmon.

I just badly need to get into all of this meal planning etc, still Rome wasn't built in a day so I'm sure I will get in to some kind of routine soon.

I had high hopes when I left my job which is 6 weeks ago tomorrow, but with recent events all my best made plans went awry.

Still Budgie is not a quitter so onwards and upwards.

Thank you so much for the support it means a lot. :A

Also since finding this forum just over 3 years ago, it has made me realise the importance of living within you're means. Touch wood I have no debt, but after reading the posts on the debt free wanna be board I have kind of get obsessed with making sure I don't.

I do think that had I not have found this forum when my Dh was out of work for over 2 years that I could have got into a mess. Luckily the posters on here have made sure that I have stayed grounded and thankfully on the right path.

So it really is a big thankyou to everyone who posts, and for those in debt I really do commend the way that posters are turning their lives around. It really is inspiring.

Sorry to waffle, you will get used to me, I tend to go on a bit.

Budgie xxx

Caterina

rosieben wrote: »

Caterina, why don't you set a budget for the days you're at home, and then add an extra allowance for holiday food if you go SC?

Very good idea Rosieben thank you! I shall do just that! Re. the twins' food allowance, I shall do my usual, stock up on basics and then let them take care of themselves, they are old enough now and they earn a bit of their own money, so if they want anything extra to the usual basics, or cannot be bothered going to the allotment for veg, they can pay for it with their own money!

Brill, sorted. Now just got to think of the budget and I am in business for September.

Today's GC spend is going to be fairly high as both DH and I are having dinner out, separately, me with a friend and he with a colleague. Only, I am planning for a modest spend, £10 tops, he is not as careful. But I don't mind as he hardly goes out at all, whereas I go almost every week even though I sometimes only spend £5 on a felafel dinner. So if he feels like splashing tonight, so be it.

rosieben

budget_babe wrote: »

... I do think that had I not have found this forum when my Dh was out of work for over 2 years that I could have got into a mess. Luckily the posters on here have made sure that I have stayed grounded and thankfully on the right path. ...

I know what you mean, I came to MSE in 2006 looking for info as I was going through bankruptcy; I found the forums and took up residency in OS straight away since I joined here, I feel I have control of my money, and that's the first time in 60 years! I hate to think what mess I would be in without MSE and especially OS. :beer:

sneakyspender

Have been busy with work,guests and more dc related activity. Final spends of month £35 Mr M and £10 butchers. Also £2.50 today on milk and eggs. Will work out and delare. Off on holiday will rejoin when we return.

sneakyspender

Final total for August £297.50 :):).Realy pleased the extra money has paid for the dcs childcare this summer :):)

KolaKube

Hi all!

Well, today has been a good one so far... MIL took me out for a sandwich lunch, and then I had a friend round for coffees in the afternoon (we would often go out, but she's on maternity and I'm about to join her in a few months so we saved a few quid!). She brought some yummy baked goods so I'm looking forward to helping get rid of the rest of those!

Slight issue is that even though we're kinda at the end of this months money we're very very tempted to go out for dinner. The rest of last nights irish stew is waiting in the fridge... we could have that, but its not very inspiring really!

Do you ever wish you could just swap your storecupboard contents with someone else, just to mix things up a little? I'm so bored of looking at / cooking with the same old stuff. <this may be my pregnancy tastebuds talking, but I never seem to fancy what we have in!>. I know it makes no sense at all but I'd love to bin the lot and start again! <Does anyone else get like that!?>